Disposable diapers are known as a conventional absorbent article to absorb exudates. In a manufacturing line for these diapers, while a half-completed product of the diaper is being conveyed, various components of the diaper are attached to the half-completed product in a sequence by joining, etc and the diaper is finished. One of these components is, for example, a sheet-like member including folded-up sections which are folded up so as to be opened and closed. The folded-up sections are opened for use when a diaper is used.
However, if the folded-up sections of the sheet-like member open up because of air resistance, etc while being conveyed in the manufacturing line, it may cause some problems such as being entrapped by devices around the conveying path. Therefore, in the manufacturing line, the folded-up sections are temporarily secured in a folded-up state by embossing them. That is, by pressing the folded-up sections with a plurality of protrusions of an embossing roll, the surfaces of the folded-up section which are to overlay each other are intermittently crimped, and thereby the folded-up sections are temporarily secured in a folded-up state (see [PTL 1]).